Generally, it is known that a device for filling soluble containers such as capsules includes an orienter, a filler and accessories such as a powder tray and a powder spreader. The devices known in the art can be a hand-held device or a bench top device. The hand held device is generally used for small volume filling of capsules and the bench top device is generally used when a greater volume of capsules are to be filled.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,494 discloses a hand held device for filling soluble containers, wherein the device for filling soluble containers includes an assembly for orienting and separating capsules and an assembly for filling the capsules. The U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,494 discloses an assembly for orienting capsules having a sheet component for orienting capsules and a base component for guiding the oriented capsules. The sheet component has a top sheet for loading the capsules and a bottom sheet for orienting the capsules loaded therein and the sheets capable of being relatively displaced with respect to each other. Slots are provided in the top sheet for limiting such displacement by setting free configuration for orientation of the capsules. The U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,494 further describes that an open closable gate is mounted to the top sheet for enabling easier loading and containment of the capsules within the top sheet, for orienting the capsules. The sheet component is usually configured as a sub-assembly and is capable of being used as a change-part in pre-assembled condition.
Typically, the sheet component is fitted to the orienter base using a screw. Therefore, each time, the size of the capsules to be filled is changed, the change-part is unscrewed from the orienter base and another change-part according to the required size is re-screwed to the orienter base. This can be a tedious process and can also add time to the time cycle of the capsule filling process thereby decreasing the efficiency of the capsule-filling machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,494 further discloses a hand held filler assembly having a sheet component with a top sheet, bottom sheet and a sliding sheet and each of the sheets having plurality of holes therein to allow passage of capsules therethrough for holding the capsules for facilitating separation into the body portion and the cap portion. Further, it has been disclosed that the sliding sheet can be displaceable relative to the top and bottom sheets for effecting gripping of a portion of the capsules during separation of the capsules. Further, the base component has a cam assembly mounted on it for effecting relative displacement of the sheets.
The sheet components may have to be assembled one by one on to the filler base component that may increase the cycle time in a hand held filler assembly.
Bench top fillers known in the art generally include a base frame assembly having a locking lever handle with gear mechanism to get the mechanical advantage for locking the capsules, a tamper assembly, locking plate and optionally a vibrator for faster filling of powder with minimal weight variation. Generally, the capsule-loading tray is securely placed on the bench top filler and the capsule is separated into a capsule body portion and a capsule cap portion. The cap portion is removed from the filler along with the capsule-loading tray. The capsule body portion left open in the filling position is filled with the predetermined quantity of the powder medicament. Tamping can be done which helps in filling more powder in each capsule with uniform fill weight. Then the capsule-loading tray with the caps is replaced on the filler and the caps are locked to the body of the capsules using locking plate.
It is known in the art that the change parts in a hand-held filler assembly or a bench-top filler assembly for filling capsules of different sizes include capsule loading tray and sheet component. However, the change parts are dedicated to a hand held device or a bench top device. The change parts known in the art are not adapted to be used on both hand-held and the bench-top device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for orienting and filling capsules. It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for filling capsules with interchangeable change parts and interchangeable Handheld Orienter or interchangeable Benchtop Orienter that can be used in a hand-held filling machine and a bench top manual capsule-filling machine and facilitating upgrade of a hand-held filling machine to a benchtop filling machine.